The new boy
by tk-fan-4ever
Summary: Jack mercer fanfic starts out when he first came to Evelyns. Anyways letting me know what you think of it wwould be greatly appreciated. R&R thanx
1. Chapter 1

The boy that stood in the mercer door way could conjure pity into the hardest heart whether they acted on their feelings or not was entirely up to them.

His huge blue eyes stared vacantly ahead unfocused and unblinking his mop of blonde hair stuck haphazardly around in head in a disgruntled halo and his thin frame looked as though the slightest gust of wind would blow him over.

In his hands he clutched a lighter and followed Evelyn like a little shadow. He was quite tall but the way he acted gave the impression that he was small like tiny small. It didn't help that when he sat his knees almost automatically pulled up to his chin in a protective manner as if trying to hide him from those that would hurt him.

Evelyn had warned her boys that they had to treat jack with more care than they did each other but it was still a surprise to them Bobby in particular, when they first laid eyes on their new foster brother. Evelyn had explained that it was just temporary until they found a home for him. But bobby could tell from the way her she acted that the last thing she wanted to do was put this fragile little person back into the system.

Since he'd come through the door with Evelyn looking positively eerie with his dead eyes, he'd sat curled against the kitchen door watching Evelyn cook with his vacant eyes.

Bobby glanced at him discreetly from time to time trying to get a read on the skinny waif who looked afraid to live.

Jack wore a hoody that was possibly 5 sizes too big on him covering his thin hands and going well past his knees.

Bobby watched with some interest as jack tugged the sleeves down farther over his hands, which were already swimming in the material. His mouth seemed to be moving but no sound came out and his hands rubbed the lighter, still clutched tightly in his palm. Evelyn was busy cooking and didn't see, or thought she should leave him alone, jack rubbing furiously at the small metal lighter.

Jacks dead eyes followed her around the kitchen never leaving her not even to blink and his tongue flicked nervously against his lips.

Bobby crouched down in front of him, "Hey, kid Whatcha got there?"

Jack reflexively shrank back into the door frame as though he thought if he pulled back far enough the wood would open up and let him in.

"Whoa. Kid relax." Bobby held his hands up and moved back a little. Jacks huge blue eyes stared back at him, terror covering every inch of him.

Bobby moved closer again worry lining his features. "Hey, you okay?" jacks entire frame went stiff and his face lost all expression, even his eyes which had stared at him a moment ago were now that flat dead almost gray color.

"Bobby! What happened? Jack? What's wrong?" Evelyn had turned around when she heard Bobby talking but Jacks back was to her so she hadn't seen his eyes die.

"Ma, something's wrong with the kid." Bobby stated waving his hands in front of Jacks face and getting no reaction. "What did you say to him, Bobby?" Evelyn knelt in front of Jack and carefully put her hands on either side of his face. "Jack, what's wrong sweetie." Jacks face stayed just as blank and his knuckles were white from clutching his lighter so tightly. "Nothin, Ma. I asked him what he was holdin and he went all deer in the headlights." Evelyn pushed Jacks unruly hair away from his forehead revealing a massive purple bruise that covered the entire side of his face. Bobby hadn't noticed it before. But now that he saw it he wasn't sure how he'd missed it.

Taking Jacks hand Evelyn led him towards the stairs. "Bobby, would you please get your brothers for dinner?" her tone was questioning but it was more a polite request masking her order. Evelyn rarely gave orders and even more rarely raised her voice.

Bobby could hear her softly talking to jack as she led him up the stairs. He followed behind her slow enough that jack and her were already in the bathroom by the time he reached the top step. He passed the open door quickly not wanting to scare the kid again. He slammed his fist against jeremiahs and angels door, chuckling when he heard a familiar thump as someone, angel probably, fell out of bed in surprise.

When Evelyn had decided to take jack in she had moved the two youngest boys into the same room so that Jack could have his own room, which was Bobby's old room, Bobby slept in the guest room.

Evelyn put Jack to bed and then came down to eat dinner with her boys. Bobby was unusually quiet were as Angel and Jeremiah were discussing a new girl in school and rating her hotness.

"So what's with the runt?" Angel questioned mouth so full it should have rendered him speechless. "Angel close your mouth when you're chewing." Evelyn reprehended him gently. Angel closed his mouth almost immediately but continued looking at her with question in his eyes.

"Yeah, ma what's him? He's like one of those slaughter house bunnies all skitterish and jumpy."

Jeremiah was the brains of the family (aside from Evelyn) and he too was looking at her curiously.

"Well, he's been in some bad homes and really bad things have happened to him. So you all need to be gentle with him and remember he doesn't like being touched, especially by boys."

All eyes were turned towards her and they listened intensely well she explained in farther detail about Jack.

Jack lay on 'his' bed listening to the murmur of voices floating up the stairs. He really didn't care what they said about him, he was pretty sure that he would be out of this house within a week, tops. These people were too normal there was no way they'd want him a fucked up little stray who was good for nothing except a quick fuck or a punching bag to release anger upon.

He dug into the pocket of his baggy sweatshirt fishing the pack of cigarettes out and checking to make sure he still had his lighter he pushed the window up and crawled out onto the roof.

Jack loved high places for some reason it made him feel safe to be above the world looking down on ants that were so small there bites couldn't hurt him.

Lighting his cigarette he watched in the quickly disappearing light as kids ran up and down the streets playing street hockey, they shrieks of laughter bouncing off the buildings illuminated for a second as in the half light the sun shone its last few desperate rays of light onto the grimy streets covering everything for a in a coat of gold.

Jack breathed out with a sigh watching the world turn such a happy color made him feel dirty and unworthy to look at such a thing. Carefully edging closer to the edge of the roof he watched as the houses once again became grimy and old.

Pulling back against the wall he closed his eyes. Just to rest a few minutes he reasoned sleepily. The darkness behind his eyes pulled him in deeper.

Jack could only have been sleeping for about 30 minutes when the nightmares started. Huge hands wrapped around his arms pulled him closer whispering in his ear. Things that made him want to puke. 'Come on Jackie boy you love it don't you.' Tears caressed jacks cheeks soaking into the dirty mattress beneath his head. The arms tightened squeezing him till he couldn't breathe, 'Say it' the voice demanded anger lasing through his words. Jacks voice was barely a whisper as he answered his throat closed around the words as his air supply was cut off completely. The arms tightened around him until the wall of dirt in front of him blurred out of focus and he was just drifting away letting his muscles relax accepting his death when he could suddenly breathe again.

Deep laughter surrounded him and then he was pulled down and heavy bodies were on top of him crushing him and his mind screamed at him to lay still but survival instinct kicked in and his foot flew out slamming into the soft middle of the man pinning him down and then he was under water screaming into the substance that was stealing his life away even as pain shot threw his body, white hot and so real. Darkness was smothering him. He could feel the hands on his body covering him and he felt trapped within his skin.

Waking in the dark, cold air freezing his sweat jack sat up straighter from his slumped position and wiped the sweat out of his eyes careful not to press the tender bruise covering his face and head.

Jack pulled his loose jacket around him tighter and crawled back through the window. Glancing at the clock sitting on the nightstand he realized he'd only been sleeping for about an hour. He could hear thumping down stairs indicating that dinner was over and someone, probably Evelyn, was doing the dishes.

He didn't feel the least bit hungry, in fact he felt like being sick. He breathed shallowly through his nose trying to rid his stomach of the sick churning feeling.

Holding his head tightly he made his way to the bathroom using the wall as support holding him up. The room swam around him swaying sideways carrying his unyielding body with it tilting and swirling. The sick feeling intensified.

Moving as quickly as his body would allow he staggered into the bathroom and emptied the contents of his stomach into the toilet.

Leaning back on his heels jack wiped his mouth and holding onto the sink for support he pulled himself off the floor and rinsed his mouth out thoroughly.

The noise below had escalated and he could hear the boys cheering somebody on and assumed, correctly, that they were watching TV.

Feeling relieved that no one had caught him, in the other house he'd been in the punishment for vomiting had been worse than anything he wanted to think about so the act was always pushed down until he could be alone, he walked quickly back to his room. Closing the door behind him he sank to the floor, rubbing his eyes, trying to rid them of the terrible never ending tiredness that consumed him.

Sleeping was something that had never come easily to him and now he couldn't close his eyes without nightmares rising up from the darkness in his mind and swallowing him.

Curling up on the hard floor he listened to the domestic sounds rising from below and wished he could be part of it. Wished he had a family to watch games with, laugh with. He couldn't remember the last time he'd laughed or even spoken for that matter.

Footsteps on the stairs startled him out of his daze. Moving quickly jack shot across the floor and slid under the covers, pulling them up to his chin and closing his eyes tightly he slowed his breathing and waited in silent terror as the door creaked opened and soft footsteps moved across the carpet towards the bed.

Keeping his breathing slow and steady was a serious task seeing as his heart was beating out of chest and his throat was constricting trying to shut the air to his brain off.

Someone leaned over him and smooth hands brushed the hair off his forehead and out of his eyes. Every nerve in his body was screaming out at having to stay so still.


	2. Chapter 2

Evelyn looked closely at the angelic face, Jack appeared to be asleep but something told her he wasn't, maybe it was the way his hands were clenched around the edge of the soft blue comforter, or the fact that she'd heard him walking around not 15 minutes earlier.

"Goodnight, Jack."

Evelyn patted his head one last time, not wanting to scare him by kissing him, she turned to go, treading softly so as not to startle him.

As soon as the door shut behind her, Jack shot out of bed chills racing up and down his spine. Claustrophobia came on, the awful feeling of being trapped had his nerves jumping like he was on a bad high.

Pushing the window open, Jack breathed deeply of the cool scent of freedom. Swinging his legs over the sill he climbed out onto the now cold shingles, his bare feet tingling sharply.

The ground didn't look to far away, maybe he could jump down. Standing on his toes he bent over so his body was angled towards the ground. Someone strolled along the darkened streets whistling loudly and a smidgen off key.

Jacks curiosity was peeked, he knelt down and turning clutched the gravely edge of the roof tightly before letting go and landing with a barely audible thump.

Crouching low he headed in the direction of the whistler, who was now tossing pebbles at random houses and then ducking behind bushes when lights came on.

The whistler disappeared from sight and Jack sighed in disappointment he had hoped to follow the whistler for awhile longer. This was his private tour, most places he moved, he would find some native of the area and follow them discreetly for awhile till he got the layout of the place.

Stumbling Jack almost fell on his face except for the pair of distinctly male hands that caught him holding him steady.

Frozen Jack couldn't move, his limbs felt like useless sticks stuck to his body. The man or boy, Jack wasn't sure but he thought it was a teenage boy, laughed. The laugh was surprisingly pleasant soft and deep not a hint of cruelness in it.

Life came back into Jack and he slowly drew himself away from the man/boy, who smiled at him, at least Jack thought he did, there had been a flash of white teeth eliminated by the porch light of the house behind them.

"Hey, I'm Stacy."

Jack cringed away from the extended hand, even if Stacy seemed nice he could be a monster in disguise. The thought was enough to have Jack put a few more feet in between them.

Stacy tilted his head to the side surveying Jack curiously.

Jack hated it when people stared at him, eventually they'd see he was trash, a filthy dirty creature lower than human, and throw him away.

Turning his head Jack moved back another step. Stacy advanced towards him.

"Hey kid, were ya goin?"

Jack watched Stacy step towards him in terror. Spinning on his heel he tore across the street, picking up speed as he went, heading back towards Evelyn's house.

Climbing swiftly up the lattice work porch railing Jack hoisted himself back onto the roof, breathing heavily from his exertions.

Leaning against the wall he lit up dragging the soothing deadly smoke deep into his lungs. Exhaling he watched as the cloudy grayness circled his head before dissolving.

Sometimes he wished he could do that, just disappear without a trace. Pain shot through his chest, crawling back through the window Jack dug desperately through his small bag, finally finding the object he was looking for, a small sharp razor.

Gasping in relief he pulled his baggy sleeve back, revealing roads and valleys covering his arm, everyone of them representing a time when he either had to get away, running down those roads in his mind or when like now he had to carve the ugliness from his body.

Digging the cold metal into his skin, Jack reveled in the sharp clarity that seemed to surround him, sinking into him. The pain bled out through his pale flesh releasing the fury ball of pain that, moments before had threatened to burst through his chest.

Sinking back against the bed Jack allowed the solid form to pull him back to reality, and then wrapping his arm around his waist beneath the hoodie he let the blood soak into the dark material.

Exhaustion swept over him, trying to shut his eyes take him away to a place where he couldn't fight against the nightmares that tugged and pulled at his mind, making him lose sight of the small pin prick of light that stubbornly followed him still.

A shout and loud laughter had Jack at the window waiting to see if escape was in order. The door down the hall opened with a faint squeak and Jack could hear Evelyn's slippers scuff along the floor as she went down to tell the boys to be quiet.


	3. Chapter 3

Pushing back at the angry hands, fighting, fighting as hard as he can yet still he's beat back down. Lying alone on the cold ground, damp soaking through his thin shirt.

Their words echoing within his head, worthless, waste of space, whore, pain slut, getting what he deserved, likes taking it up the ass, cruel words falling from the lips of crueler men, scum, what they are doesn't deserve to be called human.

Jack bites back the sobs that tear at the back of his throat, can't show the pain he feels, his tears excite them and then it will take them even longer to leave.

He stopped fighting a while ago, when he could no longer lift his arms up, even in the simple gesture of protecting himself.

Master hates when he stops showing emotion, master likes the salty pain that paints his face when he's in pain.

Sometimes he tapes it, so that he might relive it at a later time, or if need be he can sell it. Jack hates police, they only come when there angry and tired of being out of control, the worst ones are the ones who just got a talking to by their bosses, they come pissed and work him over with it.

Sometimes the pain is just too much and he screams out his agony, losing the fight against his tears. And it just makes them come back for more.

Jack just keeps digging the razor deeper and deeper in his arms and then legs over the old scars on his stomach, trying, trying oh so hard to carve the ugliness from his body so that he might no longer be desirable.

Yet it always backfires, they like when he bleeds, the client's eyes grow wide and darken in visible lust that they don't bother to hide.

Master likes that. He makes Jack bend over the splintering table so that the clients might try out the 'pain slut' for themselves.

In his mind Jack separates the clients and himself in his mind; there are three kinds of people in this world, master, himself and them.

This room is cold and dark, so cold Jack's teeth chatter and he accidentally bites his tongue, hot copper filling his mouth.

Swallowing thickly Jack pulls at the chains holding his arms in place, footsteps echo in the dark somewhere outside the room. Jack hears a bargain being struck, can hear in master's voice the intense pleasure he has in this particular deal.

Should Jack mess this up he knows master will be beyond angry, but if he can make this client happy maybe master will feed him, Jack's stomach grumbles slightly at the thought, Jack can't remember the last time he ate, maybe that's why he doesn't feel too good right now.

The door creaks open, red eyes beneath thick white eyebrows stare down at him, already mentally fucking him, red mouth splits, like an angry scar, teeth yellow and pointy, bright in the dark, hands curled into claws reach for him…

Jack wakes screaming as loud as he can, heart racing in terror. He hadn't meant to doze off, isn't even sure when it happened only that he can't ever let that happen again.

Tony, he was in the last 'home' Jack was in, had showed him how to grind these little white pills up and melt them just so, and then how to inject them in places no one would notice.

After that Jack had perfected the art of dreamless sleep, but the pills made him sluggish and he couldn't afford to be sluggish, not before he knew how this 'home' worked.

So it looked like no sleep until then.

Making his breathing even Jack listened to the running steps in the hall, his door slammed open and standing there was them, all of them, Evelyn was standing at the front of the little group, bathrobe askew, eyes wide and startled, Bobby and his brothers stand just behind her, eyes automatically scanning the room, looking for some physical reason for his screams.

Jack lets them draw nearer to where he crouches on the floor beside his bed, and then lets his eyes slip shut, knees pulled in so as to protect his stomach and ribs.

This beating won't be that bad, he's had worse. But Jack doesn't want to see the angel who rescued him become a demon before his eyes so he keeps his lids tightly sealed, waiting for the inevitable strike that.. hasn't fallen yet.

After waiting for what feels like forever, Jack peeks from beneath his lashes at the group standing above him, tears are running down Evelyn's cheeks and he doesn't think she's realized it yet.

The men stand around her looking down at him with varying versions of sadness, angel looks shocked and maybe a little angry, jerry looks like he might copy his mother at any time and, Bobby, well Bobby looks mad, his dark eyes black with anger, knuckles white where there clenched at his sides.

Jack unawares let out the smallest whimper of fear, this man could kill him, and even though he doesn't think he deserves to live, he wants to, so badly that sometimes he thinks that's the reason that the hand life throws his way feels so much like he's been cheated.

Evelyn jerks back to reality, shooing the boys out of the room, and wiping at her eyes, trying to stem the flow of tears.

"Your safe now, Jackie. No one's going to hurt you."

Evelyn's voice is soft, cajoling. And everything in him wants to leap those few feet separating them and curl up in her warm arms and hide from his night terrors, wrapped in that protective circle that can save him from death.

Evelyn seems to see it in his eyes, because she moves forward cautiously yet surely, until she can wrap jacks small frame in a hug that she lets convey all her grief for what he's been through and gladness that he's sitting here right now.

Jack lets himself sink into the welcome embrace, surprised at how good hugs feel. Only twice in his life has he been hugged in real fondness, and this is the second, the other was by Grandma Sophie, the nice old nun at a shelter he'd been at for a while.

Easing him up from the floor Evelyn sat them both on the edge of his bed.

"I'll stay here till you want me to leave."

Her voice was lowered to the softest level and Jack curled next to her, feeling at the same time vulnerable and yet a certain level of relief that Evelyn wasn't a demon hiding behind a halo and white wings.

The hand rubbing soothing circles between his shoulder blades was strangely making him sleepy and _want_ to sink away once again, to that awful dark place that wouldn't leave him alone.

Snuggling a little closer Jack felt his eyes drift shut, just before a soft blanket was drawn around his shoulders, surrounding him in Evelyn's gentle perfume and warmth.

Bobby paced the living room, angry adrenaline rushing through veins, letting him know that he should be in action, getting rid of the monster that caused a child to see it even behind closed eyes.

Angel sat silently on the couch, thrown back into his memories of when he'd first arrived here, how terrified he was but still just a little hopeful, he can't rid himself of the way Jack didn't have an ounce of that hope in him, like it had been whipped out of him.

Jerry sat beside Angel on the couch, his foot jiggling nervously, he knew what ran through Bobby's mind and he also knew that no matter how civilized he had supposedly come in the eyes of society he'd follow Bobby and serve out the painful street justice right alongside him without a seconds hesitation if only Bobby knew who they needed to tear into. Anyone who caused a kid to scream in the night deserved only the worst.

After about an hour Evelyn's soft murmuring drifted away, and as one the trio let out a collective sigh of relief.

Returning to sleep seemed a little like an impossible attempt to Bobby, but he didn't begrudge his brothers when they both headed for the stairs.


End file.
